CHARLOTTE, N.C. — March 4, 2015 — Foundation For The Carolinas will help manage a new project to make Charlotte more bike-friendly as a way to engage residents in community life and create incentives for talented people to live and stay in the city. The Knight Charlotte Cycling Fund was created with $600,000 in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

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Knight support will kick off a planning process with experts, community leaders and representatives from city cycling organizations to introduce fun, fast ways to make Charlotte more bike-friendly. The Knight Charlotte Cycling Fund will be used to implement ideas developed out of the plan and introduce new programs and events to get others involved, such as safety classes or street festivals.

The project will build on city efforts in the last 10 years to increase cycling routes from one bike lane to 174 bike lanes and add signage for bike routes and off-road paths. It will also encourage more connection and coordination among the many enthusiastic city cycling organizations that offer rider education programs for various levels and groups.

“City leaders are increasingly recognizing that a thriving Charlotte will help to attract and keep the young talent that contributes to a healthy economy, while encouraging people to make connections and get involved in civic life,” said Susan Patterson, Knight Foundation program director for Charlotte. “Through this project we hope to make Charlotte more bike-friendly and provide the quality of life improvements that help contribute to city success.”

“When you consider the great cities of the world, one thing nearly all have in common is a commitment to being bike and pedestrian-friendly,” said Brian Collier, executive vice president of Foundation For The Carolinas. “Charlotte has made great strides, but we look forward to partnering with Knight to create an even more vibrant, livable community.”

Support for these projects forms part of Knight Foundation’s efforts in Charlotte to attract and keep talented people, expand economic opportunity and create a culture of engagement. Knight has also invested in a vision plan to re-energize uptown Charlotte’s North Tryon corridor, and recently supported Foundation For The Carolinas’ efforts to revitalize the historic Carolina Theatre at Belk Place.

Footage from an on-board video camera can be a good tool in a legal case. Photo: Tim De Waele | TDWsport.com

Editor’s note: We are pleased to reintroduce “Legally Speaking,” a column penned by lawyer Bob Mionske. Have a question about the law and how it relates to cyclists? Email him, and it may be answered in this column.

We heard the deep, guttural roar from behind that has come to signal trouble. I glanced over my shoulder and in my draft, my riding partner did the same. I thought, “here he comes.”

He was pulling a horse trailer with one of those pickups on steroids that look big in the distance and gargantuan up close. You know the kind. He gave us a wide berth to start but as the extra-long trailer dog-tracked around the bend, it came closer and closer until I could have touched it with my knee. You’ve been there.

Later, we chuckled morosely that, at least, we’d have footage of our demise for our heir’s legal cases because we were rolling with video. And we are not alone.

Friday, March 20, 2015

That rock that you would always pedal-strike, I made it smoother. That ditch you could almost wheelie across, I filled it in so now you can roll it. That tight switchback that you could hop around like Ryan Leach and all your friends were impressed, I made it so you can pedal around it.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

"You spent how much?" and other things often said to the BikeRadar community

There are some things that our non-cycling friends (why are they our friends if they don't cycle?) say that just crop up time and again. You know the sort of thing: "Your bike cost how much?"; "You rode how far?"; and "I would never wear lycra"…

We asked the BikeRadarcommunity for some pearls of, ahem, wisdom that they keep being given by non-cyclists, and here's a selection of the best.

How many have you heard and what other things do non-cyclists always say? Join the conversation in this forum thread here.

One of the questions we get asked the most is where do we sleep when traveling on our bicycles. Exploring a country with your own 2 wheels opens you to a new range of opportunities to overnight. Some of them can save you a lot of cash while others can also provide you with a completely different perspective of the place you visit. This is, without any doubt, one of the reasons why I love traveling on my bicycle.

So, the next time you hit the road make sure you try some of the places below. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Apart from saving some money you will enjoy another side of traveling on your bicycle with these 14 free places to sleep while bicycle touring.

Monday, March 16, 2015

Starting and finishing in beautiful Millersburg, Ohio, the Amish Country Roubaix gravel road race will return on Sunday April 19, 2015 with a longer, harder and dirtier course than ever! New this year will see a full 100 Kilometer course with a 50 K option for those wishing to partake of only half the suffering. Watch this page for further details.

The Course – 2015

Longer Harder Dirtier

With so many great options around Millersburg it’s difficult to limit this race to 45 miles – so it’s growing. Look for an exciting 100k option for the 2015 edition of the race.

But it’s only April!

Did your winter training consist mostly of watching reruns of Three’s Company? Don’t worry, we still have an option for you. Look for a more manageable 50k option in 2015.

Both courses will start and end in Millersburg, Ohio. Keep an eye on this websites for updates as the courses are finalized.

Porter Hike-a-Bike Pad

Deep in the mountains that thread of dirt can turn into a vertical mess of boulders. The “nose-over-the-shoulder” method is a great way to carry your bike and scamper across those impossible to ride sections. Cushion your shoulder bones against the rails of your saddle with our Porter hike-a-bike pad. The low profile avoids thigh rub when pedaling and the easy on/off allows you to stow the pad.